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“She reacted like a Champions League winner,” noted England manager Sarina Wiegman with a smile.

For Lucia Kendall, the feeling was comparable.

Wiegman was describing the moment the Aston Villa midfielder raced away into the corner after netting her first Lionesses goal – early in a triumph over Ghana at St Mary's Stadium.

“They are still doing some treatment on the grass!” she joked, poking fun at Kendall’s flawless knee slide.

Getting up from her slide, Kendall took in the moment with cheeks puffed and a massive grin.

A Dream Return to St Mary's

Kendall was “a fixture” at Southampton – a club where she had spent a decade, rising through their academy and making 103 appearances before moving to Villa in July.

So when she found the net at St Mary's Stadium on her return, and on only her third England appearance, it was the material of fairy tales.

“A really special moment for me to be able to do it here, where I grew up. This place forged the player I am,” Kendall said.

“It appeared as though it was fate. It was so special. I got flooded with emotion really.”

A Rapid Rise to Prominence

It may have been Southampton who “made” Kendall, but a major decision at the age of 15 proved pivotal to her future.

A proficient cricketer as well, with a father who played county cricket for Hampshire, she faced a choice between the two pursuits as her football career took off. Football was the choice.

“It presented a dilemma. Juggling both became impossible,” Kendall said in a previous media conference.

“I adored cricket as a child. Making the choice was very hard. I went back and forth, but when the time came, I understood I enjoy football a bit more.”

Growing up admiring Chelsea and Frank Lampard’s goal-getting midfield exploits, Kendall is embarking on her own path with comparable attacking instincts.

Her ability to handle first-team football alongside a psychology degree signaled the drive and dedication required for the top level.

The club did their utmost to keep her, but with her deal up, Villa moved decisively to bring her to the top flight.

Her rapid progress has seen her become a WSL fixture and an England international in a very brief period.

“Maintaining her level immediately in a new league and club is difficult, yet she has done so,” said Wiegman.

“The pace of her rise has been breathtaking, yet she maintains her performance standard, proving her quality impressively.”

Kendall certainly enjoyed herself at St Mary's, striking the crossbar later in the first half and almost teeing up Villa team-mate Missy Bo Kearns for a goal, before Alessia Russo added a second with an injury-time penalty.

She was substituted after an hour to a ovation from the home crowd and the excited voice of the stadium announcer proclaiming that she was “Southampton's very own”.

Kendall scored 29 goals for the club in more than a decade of service and added: “Being at Southampton for so long, I played regular senior football from the age of 16 and that was incredibly beneficial.

“The constant faith they placed in me gave me the confidence to take the next step.

“I understood the need to justify my selection at international level, where the tempo is higher, akin to moving up a league.”

Acknowledgment of Her Football Intelligence

Her seamless transition to the international stage has led to praise for her innate midfield qualities and effortless demeanour.

Wiegman is keen to protect her, saying the media can play a role in that and so can Villa, but she has no concerns because of how “grounded” Kendall conducts herself.

Shortly after her maiden call-up, she spoke to reporters, expressing a desire to contribute while understanding the importance of the collective.

According to Russo, Kendall’s assimilation was so smooth it seemed she’d been part of the group for ages.

“{This team's just gone on to win back-to